Gastropubbing in Temecula

PUBlic House
41971 Main Street, Temecula, California 92590

“A table for four, please?” I hungrily inquired. We were lead to a high bench table on the patio, complete with tall stools and right next to an indoor water feature. Dining with three year old twins in such an environment, what could possibly go wrong?

We were in Old Town Temecula, California and on a Scavenger Hunt (you can read about our Urban Adventure Quest here). Our tummies started to grumble half way through our Quest, so it was time to find somewhere scrumptious to fill our bellies.

There were plenty of dining options in the township to choose from. The PUBlic House, on Main Street, looked enticing (plus had kid’s food and vegetarian options). So, in we ventured.

PUBlic House is a gastropub, located within a 1950’s restored home in the middle of Old Town. It’s pretty funky, with wooden pallets adorning the walls sprouting greenery, and pages of a novel providing wallpaper on the bathroom walls.

With the kids perched precariously on high stools, fortunately with backs on the seats, and one tornado insisting he had to climb up and down and up and down and up and down (you get the picture) by himself, I was braced for the worst. But no one fell too hard. To be fair, putting us as close to the exit as possible, was probably a smart move on their part.

The water feature provided ample temptation, but after the same tornado put his hand under the deluge once, it was forgotten.

After three and a half years of twins, hubby and I are now experts at ordering the kid’s food ASAP, before we even attempt to contemplate what we’d like to eat ourselves, the twin tornados were happily munching on their grilled cheese (a cheese toasty for my Kiwi readers) in no time.

Unfortunately they tried to serve a green salad with the grilled cheese, ARE THEY CRAZY? They had mistakenly pushed a ‘greens’ button, instead of a fries button (if only I could get my three year olds munching spinach and lettuce leaves), but the fries were on the table in no time. We save the use of tablets for such as occasion as this, which then provides 15 mins of peace and quiet for the adults to consume their meals. Yep, that’s great parenting 101 right there!

The beer was large, and cold, which was perfect after running around the town solving clues on a hot day. My beer was even a little fruity, since I ordered the Refuge Grapefruit IPA (I like to mix it up a bit). A nice tall refreshing ale! 

The food tasted as fantastic as it looked. I devoured my crispy roasted squash and potato gnocchi with gusto, savouring the sage brown butter sauce. I’m sure there was a hint of citrus in there too, but it could have been the beer.

Hubby embarked on a journey of pork loin stuffed with roast duck, or Duck Stuffed Pork. He was a happy Hubby at the end of it. Yes, I am the only vegetarian in this family.

Both the beer and the food impressed, as did the behaviour of our children. A winning trifecta, and very rare occurrence.

As we say in our household when something goes well – High Five!